Stephan Savoia / Associated PressThe original "Big Three" of (from left) Robert Parish, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale of the 1980s Boston Celtics is the starting point when trying to determine strong trios in the modern NBA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- First, there was the original Big Three.

The Boston Celtics drafted Larry Birdout of Indiana State in 1979, and he became the rookie of the year. They drafted Kevin McHalein 1980 and obtained Robert Parish in a trade with the Golden State Warriors that same year.

That trio would lead the Celtics to NBA championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

And it was good.

Then, there was the next Big Three.

The Celtics drafted Paul Pierce out of Kansas in 1998, and he became a five-time All-Star. But he was unable to lead his team back to the promised land. So, in the summer of 2007, the Celtics traded a slew of players and draft picks to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett and to Seattle for Ray Allen.

That trio would lead the Celtics to the NBA championship in 2008.

And it was good again.

Now, there's the new Big Three. Or the Three Amigos. Or the Triple Threat. Or whatever you want to call them. LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

Will they be good enough? Will it be good once more?

It's a long way until June. But McHale says there's no way to compare the first two Big Threes, let alone all three of them.

The Tipoff

I’ve always enjoyed interviews with NBA commissioner David Stern.

I know some find him arrogant or autocratic, but I think, by and large, he enjoys the give-and-take that comes with the periodic interview sessions he holds before, during and after the season, and I appreciate the sense of humor he often displays during these times. I also appreciate the precision with which he answers questions. If you’re paying attention, he often tells you more than you think he did.

So I was greatly amused at the proliferation of stories last week about contraction and salary cuts as the league and the players association meet to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. Stern has been around this block a few times. Like in any negotiation, both sides start high before lowering their expectations and meeting somewhere in the middle.

This is not to say these are going to be easy negotiations. Not by any means. It’s going to take major concessions from both sides to avoid a delay to the start of next season.

But I thought the commissioner was especially candid when he admitted a lot of what has been said to this point is “classic negotiating rhetoric, probably on both sides.”

In other words, posturing.

My single favorite moment in a pre-season conference call with reporters last week came when he was asked a question about a statement from Players Association executive director Billy Hunter that read, in part, “If the owners maintain their position it will inevitably result in a lockout and the cancellation of part or all of the 2011-2012 season.”

Said Stern, “I don’t believe that Billy wrote that because he wouldn’t threaten me with a lockout.”

The fact of the matter is that Hunter can’t threaten a lockout. Owners lock out. Players strike.

Rookie watch: Former Ohio State star Evan Turner
had a so-so preseason, but he led the Sixers with 16 points in their opener and dazzled fans with a few flashy moves, including a nifty cross-over dribble on the wing.

The last word: From Boston coach Doc Rivers after losing to the Cavs on Wednesday, “I think we’re the most popular team in Cleveland right now, beating Miami and then losing to the Cavs.”

-- Mary Schmitt Boyer

"Larry and I and Robert got in there as young players," McHale, now an analyst for TNT, said in a recent conference call with reporters. "It wasn't thrown together. Guys weren't established. We were all trying to establish ourselves.

"Robert came over from Golden State and everybody was saying, 'Boy, he's got a lot of talent. Is he going to fit in with the Celtics?' I was a rookie. I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I was just out there trying to play. That was the start of it. Larry was in his second year, but rookie of the year and was already establishing himself as a tremendous NBA player.

"It just kind of happened very organically. It just morphed into us playing together and getting to know each other -- completely different than throwing in three guys who are already established.

"If you look at Garnett and Pierce and Ray Allen, they were all already multi-multi-year All-Stars who had established themselves but hadn't established winning but were older and came together. I was like, 'OK, these guys are really going to get it because they're at the stage of their career where they need to win. They need to get to The Finals. They need to win rings. That's going to be the one thing that's going to solidify their careers.'

"Now you take a look at Miami, the newest of the Big Three. These guys are right in their prime. They're not older. They're not like Garnett and Ray Allen joining Paul Pierce. ... I really like the dynamic of those guys being young enough to keep this thing going for a while."

Fellow TNT analyst Reggie Miller isn't quite so sure. He thinks all the focus on James, Wade and Bosh may backfire -- especially since the Celtics came within a hair of dethroning the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June in Los Angeles.

"The Big Three is the best thing for the Boston Celtics," Miller said in the same conference call. "With everyone talking about the buzz and the hype of the Big Three, the Young Guns, the Super Friends, the Three Musketeers ... I think it has lit a fire under the Celtics. No longer is everyone talking about the Celtics.

"I think it was the best thing for them -- losing Game 7 and all the hype and talk about Miami. I think that has made Kevin Garnett rededicated, back in the gym, working out. I think Paul Pierce is rededicated. I think Ray Allen is going to have a great year and [Rajon] Rondo was an All-Star last year. ...

"But to me the Celtics are the team to beat."

McHale admitted that while it was impossible to compare the trios, he'd love to be able to match them up for one game, winner-take-all.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "You throw them all out there and let us all be 25, I'll take my guys."

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